Out in the Woods
by KokoLolo
Summary: The Wilderness Explorers are going camping, and they're allowed to bring a few people along. This being Russell's first time camping, the youth decides that he wants to bring Carl and Dug along. Looks like it's another adventure for our protagonists!
1. Prologue

Ever since the day the large airship landed, Russell had made it a habit to visit Carl Fredricksen each and every day. In fact, as soon as he was dropped off at his bus stop, he would hurry straight to the retirement center to visit the elderly man and the Golden Retriever family that stayed with him. Although Russell could be annoying, Carl had to admit he enjoyed the company. The youth was one of the few people that actually took the time to visit.

It was a sunny afternoon and Russell was racing down the sidewalk, his excessive backpack shaking as he ran. He had just come from his latest Wilderness Explorer meeting; it was just announced that his troop was planning to take trip to the woods and go camping. The Asian-American wanted to hurry to Carl's residence and tell the man the news. He jogged down the sidewalk, staying out of the way of pedestrians. After a block of running, the halfway mark, Russell's energy dwindled to a walking pace.

"Hello, Russell!" the boy glanced over to see one of the men that worked at the small market. The boy scout's mother had sent him over to pick small necessities there so often that each worker had learned his name.

"Hello, Mr. Harris!" he greeted, waving over at the adult. He grinned, "Guess what?"

Mr. Harris took once look at the youth in his Wilderness Explorer uniform then replied, "I don't know, what?"

"I'm going camping!" Russell exclaimed, spreading his arms out. He added, "I'm going to go tell Mr. Fredricksen!"

Mr. Harris arched an eyebrow, "Is that the man who tried to make his house fly?"

"Yeah!" Russell nodded, vigorously. "That's how I got to South America and met Kevin and Dug… and I flew the house by myself!"

"Not everyone can say that." Mr. Harris commented, amused.

Russell laughed, "It was really fun!"

"I bet it was."

"Sorry, Mr. Harris, but I need to go." Russell excused himself then with a 'goodbye', he continued his walk to the retirement home. The walk from the market to his destination was not too much further. He was there within a few minutes. The child approached one of the many buildings that was part of the neighborhood and climbed the concrete steps to the Fredricksen residence.

He knocked against the cold wood of the front door and immediately high-pitched barks were heard from the Dug's pups. From inside, Russell could hear Dug shouting, "Oh boy, Oh boy! The small mailman is here!"

Russell could never get Dug to call him by his formal name.

"Come in, Russell!" the elderly man's voice called. The Asian-American stepped inside and was greeted by many small Golden Retriever's, resting their fore-paws on the his legs. He grinned, "I missed you guys, too." he glanced over at the elder, "Mr. Fredricksen!"

"You don't have to shout; I'm right here." Carl adjusted his hearing aid, before asking, "What's got you all hyped up?"

"Camping! My Wilderness Explorer troop is going to go camping next weekend!" the youth was much bubblier than he already was usually.

Dug's ears perked up, "Camping? I love camping! …What is camping?"

"It's when you go out into the wilderness and sleep in tents and light campfires!"

"I want to go!" the dog's tail was wagging.

"Okay!" Russell giggled as Dug tackled the child out of excitement, licking at his cheeks. He gently pushed the dog off of him and slipped off his backpack.

"That sounds like fun." Carl remarked, "this would be your first time, right?"

"Yep!" Russell answered, "They said I can bring my dad, but uh, he's busy…" Russell frowned, his excitement had died down as soon as the words left his lips.

"Oh…" whenever the topic of Russell's father came up, Carl was never entirely sure what to say. "Have you asked him yet?"

"No, but he's going on a business trip next weekend," Russell's main focus now was on petting Dug. His tone quickly lightened, "but I thought you could come, Mr. Fredricksen!"

Carl blinked, surprised that the child didn't even ask anymore and just assumed. Russell had been visiting him for months now, and it wasn't typical for this to happen. It brought up the memory of Ellie who was known for her assumptions ever since they met back in the old home that was later adopted by the couple.

"I suppose I could, when is it?" Carl asked, taking off his glasses to clean the small smudges.

"Next Saturday." Russell replied, his smile widening.

"That sounds alright to me."

"Yay! It's going to be like an another adventure, Mr. Fredricksen!" Russell shouted, "and Dug will be there!" his voice softened, "but no Kevin…"

"The bird is raising her babies." Dug reminded the boy.

"Yeah…" Russell frowned, "but I still miss her."

Carl knew that feeling all too well. He had a terrible time coping with Ellie's death. That was, until his adventure in South America. He had never thought that he would ever end up fighting his childhood hero with the help of a talking dog, a unique bird and a Wilderness Explorer.

He stood up to head to the kitchen, steering the conversation back on track, "Don't you think camping right now would be a bit wet?"

"A Wilderness Explorer can endure anything," Russell said this with confidence, as if this had been drilled into his brain ever since he joined this troop.

"Surprised that didn't have a rhyme to go with that." Carl teased, returning back from the kitchen with a glass of water. He took a long sip of his water, eyes drifting to the wall clock, "Hey Russell, it's almost five."

"Right," Russell picked up his large pack. He hated how fast the sun set now that it was late October. Sure, that didn't seem like the ideal month for camping, but the troop leader deemed it necessary for his scouts to be prepared, no matter what weather condition. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Fredricksen."

And with those last words exchanged, Russell was out the door.

**A/N:**

**Hiya folks! This chapter is more of a prologue than the official first chapter. Russell, Carl, Dug and the troop shall get to camping next chapter. **

**Let me know what you think in a review!**

**Thanks so much for reading!**


	2. Bus Rides and Firewood

The next Saturday came slower than a snail in syrup for Russell. Everyday he would visit Mr. Fredricksen to express how excited he was to go camping. Carl carefully helped Russell make a list of everything he needed which was basically everything in Russell's large hiker's pack that he carried around what seemed like 24/7. Carl never quite understood why Russell needed that everywhere he went, but he just accepted it when even the boy couldn't give a reason either. The only item that Mr. Fredricksen felt was necessary to be added to Russell's never-ending pack was some real food, as in food that wasn't chocolate.

Saturday eventually did come, and the Wilderness Explorers were each packed onto a bus with Mr. Fredricksen as well as a few other volunteers and troop leaders. Russell insisted on sitting with Carl, not seeming to care whether or not he sat with the others. To this, Carl rolled his eyes at, "You know, Russell, you can sit with your friends. I'm fine with Dug as company."

Russell and Carl glanced over at the golden retriever awkwardly seated on a bus seat who's ears perked up at the sound of his name. Russell shifted in his seat, "I dunno, Mr. Fredricksen, you'd be awfully lonely without me."

Carl scoffed at this, "I'm fine! Go have fun."

A slow smile crossed Russell's expression as he nodded and stood up, hurrying to sit next to one of the campers. Carl leaned back on the hard seat, cringing. He turned to Dug who had hopped up on the open spot beside him, "These seats are so uncomfortable…"

Dug cocked his head to the side, watching his 'master', his tail wagging, "Oh, I think they're the comfiest seat ever!"

Carl shot back, playfully, "Well, you don't have a bad back, now do ya?"

Carl watched in amusement as Dug glanced over at what he can see of his own back, then looked back at him, "No."

"Alrighty, Wilderness Explorers!" a middle-aged man now stood at the front, a bright smile on his face. He wore a similar attire to the rest of the boys with khaki shorts that fell just to his knees and a collared shirt that was tucked in with a bandana tied around his neck; he looked prepared for camping. It was clear he was the W.E. leader. "I'd like you each to meet our bus driver, Mr. Lewis. We're very lucky to have him with us today!"

The bus driver, a man nearing his sixties, turned around and waved at the boys with majority responding with a mumbled greeting. Russell who was seated close to the bus driver, grinned, "Hello, Mr. Lewis! How are you? Have you ever been camping before 'cause I haven't."

Mr. Lewis, slightly taken aback by the questions thrown at him, let out a raspy laugh, "I'm doing well, and I've been camping, yes. You seem excited."

Russell's eyes widened, nodding vigorously, " I am! I actually sort of camped before with Mr. Fredricksen. He tied balloons to his house and made it fly to South America. I think that's smarter than flying, y'know, cause you get to keep your stuff."

"You went camping in South America?" And from there, Russell told Mr. Lewis about his entire adventure in South America during the hour in a half bus ride to the campgrounds. Mr. Fredricksen slept through the entire duration of the ride and needed to be shaken awake by Russell when it was time to unload the bus.

Immediately after unloading, the campers set out to pitching the tents. Carl noticed how experienced some were while others (like Russell) were blankly staring at their handbooks. He rolled his eyes, commenting, "Why is it that some of these kids not know how to pitch a tent? And they call themselves Wilderness Explorers!"

The camp leader glanced over at Carl, dumbfounded by his statement. Stumbling over his words, he attempted to defend his campers, "W-well, we… Mr. Fredricksen… that's not just what the Wilderness Explorers are about! We help the environment, work with our community… it's not _just_ about camping…"

Carl shrugged, "I just think they should know how to pitch a tent." And with those words exchanged, he made his way over to Russell who was struggling with setting up his tent. It was somewhat set up, but it was lopsided. The young boy was trying to figure out how to fix it.

"Russell, you need to adjust that pole."

Russell elaborately gestured towards one part of the test, "This one?" When Carl nodded, Russell took it as an okay to continue. However, he didn't count on his foot catching onto a tree root, causing him to tumble down onto the tent, wrecking his work.

Russell was left with a twisted ankle, and a tent with a torn hole at the top from one of the poles poking through during the fall.

XxX

"Alright, boys," the camp leader clapped his hands, smiling big. Carl still had no clue what this man's name was. "Now that our tents are set up, we can collect firewood."

Russell jumped up with excitement, "Oh, boy! Dug, remember when we went to collect firewood in South America?"

Dug barked in agreement, "Yes! Do I get to do that again? I'm good at the game of fetch."

One of the campers, flatly remarked, "That talking dog is still weird."

"Oh, no. It is not me who is talking. It is my collar that talks." Dug said, licking his nose.

"Anyways!" the leader clapped his hands together to grab everyone's attention again, "Firewood! I'd like you each to travel in pairs or more. Stay safe!"

AN: I DID IT. IT'S UPDATED.

IT'S AN **UP**DATE


End file.
